INTERVIEW: Jaye Wells

Fed up with a reality that was forced upon her, Jaye Wells, after several years working as a freelance writer as well as a magazine editor, decided to throw it all in and create the sort of book that she'd like to read. The result became the Sabina Kane trilogy with the first one, Red-Headed Stepchild, having just been recently released. (See our review: here)

Here we chatted to her about (un)life, writing, land sharks and faery porn...

Falcata Times: Writing is said to be something that people are afflicted with rather than gifted and that it's something you have to do rather than want. What is your opinion of this statement and how true is it to you?

Jaye Wells: This is a great question. I didn't start writing fiction until I turned 30. Until I found fiction, I always had this palpable restlessness inside. I tried dozens of hobbies and careers but nothing calmed it. It wasn't until I found writing that I had an outlet for that unease. I wouldn't say it's an affliction, so much as a yearning. When I'm not writing regularly I start to feel out of whack. I always say that when I'm not able to create drama on the page I'm creating it in my real life. So it definitely keeps me out of trouble, if nothing else.


FT: When did you realise that you wanted to be a writer?

JW: It wasn't until I started writing that I was able to look back over my life and see that the signs were there all along. I was a voracious reader as a kid--a legacy of being the daughter and grand-daughter of booksellers. I also had an overactive imagination that I never really outgrew. I have a distinct memory of being about ten years old and deciding to write a novel. But I don't think I made it past the first page because it was hard. And, being so young, I thought that the difficulty I had was a sign I wasn't meant to do it. I guess I thought real writers just knew how to do it. Almost as if the muse of writing appeared one day and bestowed upon the budding wordsmith all the skills necessary. That misguided belief kept me from really pursuing it seriously for a long time. Instead of pursuing fiction I went into magazine writing. I did that for several years until that yearning I mentioned earlier finally grew to such epic proportions I was willing to overcome my fear of failure and take a class in writing fiction. Once I realized that writing is supposed to be hard, I was hooked and began to enjoy the challenge of telling stories.


FT: It is often said that if you can write a short story you can write anything. How true do you think this is and what have you written that either proves or disproves this POV?

JW: I'm not sure this is true. Each form has it's own unique set of challenges. I can say, though, that the flash fiction and short stories I've written have helped me improve as a novelist. You really learn the value of each word and have to really sweat over each one. But I believe novel writing requires more endurance and sheer stubbornness than short stories.


FT: If someone were to enter a bookshop, how would you persuade them to try your novel over someone else's and how would you define it?

JW: You know, I'm not really receptive to the desperate hard sell, so I wouldn't impose that on others. I suppose if they seemed interested I'd gab with them about the things I love about the story and hope my enthusiasm would excite them about the story. I define my work as having sharp fangs, grave stakes and wicked humor.


FT: How would you "sell" your book in 20 words or less?

JW: If vampires or mages don't interest you, perhaps I could tempt you with hairless demon cats and faery porn?


FT: Who is a must have on your bookshelf and whose latest release will find you on the bookshops doorstep waiting for it to open?

JW: Oh man, there are so many. I guess if forced to choose just one author, it'd be Anne Rice since they had such an impact on my own writing. I'm really looking forward to the new JR Ward Black Dagger Brotherhood book. She's taking that series in some exciting new directions.


FT: When you sit down and write do you know how the story will end or do you just let the pen take you? ie Do you develop character profiles and outlines for your novels before writing them or do you let your idea's develop as you write?

JW: I've tried it both ways, but I've found I work so much better if I have a roadmap going into a story. I see it kind of like planning a road trip. I know going into the drive that I know to get from point A to point Z with major stops on the way. But I build enough flexibility in that I can indulge my curiosity if a diversion presents itself.


FT: What do you do to relax and what have you read recently?

JW: It's sad to say, but writing really is my life. It's not just a job. When I'm not writing, I'm thinking about it or talking about it. Most of my social time is spent at conferences or writing group meetings or having lunch with other writers. But I guess my guilty pleasure is taking a night off to just veg in front of the TV or read.

Let's see, the last five books I've read are: Sometimes the Magic Works by Terry Brooks (about his writing life), Road Trip of the Living Dead by Mark Henry (hilarious UF about sentient zombie socialites), My Booky Wook by Russell Brand (memoir), Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford (touching novel about the Japanese internment in Seattle during WWII) and The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon (excellent--definitely in my top ten reads of all time). Obviously, my reading tastes are pretty diverse.


FT: What is your guiltiest pleasure that few know about?

JW: I love bad eighties movies. I've watched Dirty Dancing like fifty times. My dream is to rewrite it as a vampire movie. "Nobody puts Baby in the coffin!"


FT: Lots of writers tend to have pets. What do you have and what are their key traits (and do they appear in your novel in certain character attributes?)

JW: I have a boxer named Oscar. He thinks he's a cat and is constantly climbing in my lap, which is troublesome since he weighs 50 lbs. I have this soft spot for ugly breeds. The grumpier-looking the better. That's probably why I made the demon in Red-Headed Stepchild a hairless cat. I'm fascinated by them, and would probably own one if Oscar wasn't scared of cats after a run-in with a feral cat when he was a puppy.


FT: Which character within your latest book was the most fun to write and why?

JW: Without a doubt it was Giguhl. He's a mischief demon who takes the form of a cat. He's fun to write because he's the comic relief in the book. After writing fight scenes and heavy emotion, he's like a snarky palate cleanser.


FT: How similar to your principle protagonist are you?

JW: Well, obviously I'm not a vampire and I've never killed anyone, but there are personality similarities. I'm notoriously stubborn and know a bit about dysfunctional families (although none of them have tried to stake me--yet).


FT: What hobbies do you have and how do they influence your work?

JW: I am an utter failure when it comes to hobbies. I've tried many, but I always end up getting bored. Writing was the first hobby I tried that I wanted to stick with and it quickly became an obsession. I guess if you considered learning a hobby then that would be mine. I'm intensely curious, and love taking classes and researching random things. History and art are two big interests, and they both inform my writing.


FT: Where do you get your idea's from?

JW: Everywhere. I'm not trying to be trite when I say that. Literally everything is a potential source for story. Dreams, random details I see driving around, conversations I overhear, art, myth, songs, memories--these have all sparked story ideas. When I started writing coming up with ideas was harder, but now that I've been doing it a while my brain is trained to constantly be on the look out for material.


FT: Do you ever encounter writers block and if so how do you overcome it?

JW: There's two kinds of writer's block I've experienced. The first happens when I make a wrong turn in a story and hit a road closed sign. Then it's simply a matter of backtracking until I figure out where I got off course. The other kind is when I indulge the internal critic. I've anthropomorphized this demon as the Land Shark from the old Saturday Night Live skits. He's constantly trying to lure me to open the door so he can blast me with recriminations. It's a struggle to ignore him sometimes, and when I'm not vigilant and forget to ignore him it can paralyze me. The trick in this case is to harpoon that bastard and slam the door.


FT: Certain authors are renowned for writing at what many would call uncivilised times. When do you write and how do the others in your household feel about it?

JW: I'm lucky enough to be able to write full time. So I write during the day when my son is at school. When he gets home, my work is done until he goes to bed. He just started school full time this year, and before that I wrote during nap times and at night. My family has been amazingly supportive. My husband is the most patient man on earth, and has picked up a lot of slack as I've tried to adjust to juggling the increased demands on my time.


FT: Sometimes pieces of music seem to influence certain scenes within novels, do you have a soundtrack for your tale or is it a case of writing in silence with perhaps the odd musical break in-between scenes?

JW: Music is pretty important to my writing process. I have soundtracks for my books, and sub-sets for each type of scene and specific characters. It's funny though because the genres and bands are so random. I have everything from Rammstein to Radiohead and Pat Benatar to Peter Murphy in the mix.


FT: What misconceptions, if any, did you have about the writing and publsihing field when you were first getting started?

JW: I guess I didn't anticipate how hard it would be to balance my time. I literally could spend all day doing promotion, but that doesn't help me meet deadlines. I also editors were kind of like teachers. They give you an assignment and then grade it. Instead, it more a collaboration. Instead of being strict school marms, my editors is more like a collaborator who's just as invested in my success as I am.


FT: If music be the food of love, what do you think writing is and please explain your answer?

JW: Writing is the reflection of the soul, and stories are the mirror.


FT: What can you tell us about the next novel?

JW: Mage in Black is book two of my Sabina Kane series. It follows Sabina into the heart of the mage world and her continuing struggle to find a place she belongs. It's due out in January 2010.


FT: What are the last five internet sites that you've visited?

JW: Facebook, Twitter, Amazon (for my futile hourly check of sales rank), Barnes and Noble Book Club (Red-Headed Stepchild is one of their April picks) and the League of Reluctant Adults (my group blog- www.leagueofreluctantadults.com).


FT: Did you ever take any writing classes or specific instructions to learn the craft? If so please let us know which ones.

JW: In addition to a class at my local community college, most of the writing courses I've taken have been online. One I can't recommend enough is Eliciting Characters' Emotions by Margie Lawson. I've taken all her courses and she's an amazing teacher. Michael Hauge gives a great workshop on the Hero's Journey as well.


FT: How did you get past the initial barriers of criticism and rejection?

JW: Without criticism you won't grow. I learned how to handle it when I worked in magazines. I had a managing editor who'd return my articles dropping in red. But I learned so much about writing from those bloody edits. Rejection is tough, but I found my stubbornness really came in handy. Each rejection was like waving a red flag at a bull. Not that they weren't tough, but after several I just learned to silently curse the fools and move on.


FT: In your opinion, what are the best and worst aspects of writing for a living?

JW: The best: Writing in my PJs, getting paid to daydream, meeting lots of cool writers, free books, and getting emails from people who loved my stories. The worst: Having no control over what happens after the stories leave me.